Walleye Express

Subject: How many of you know the words to TAPS???

This is interesting...I did not know this....wonder if you did...

If

any of you have ever been to a military

funeral in which taps was played;

this brings out a new meaning of it.

Here

is something Every American should know. Until I

read this, I didn't know, but I checked it out

and it's true:

We

in the United States have all heard

the haunting song, 'Taps.' It's the song that

gives us the lump in our throats and usually

tears in our eyes.

But,

do you know the story behind the song? If

not, I think you will be interested to find out

about its humble beginnings.

Reportedly,

it all began in 1862 during the Civil War,

when Union Army

Captain Robert Ellicombe was with

his men near Harrison's Landing in

Virginia . The Confederate Army was

on the other side of the narrow strip of land.

During

the night, Captain Ellicombe heard the moans of

a soldier who lay severely wounded on the field.

Not knowing if it was a Union

or Confederate soldier, the Captain

decided to risk his life and bring the stricken

man back for medical attention. Crawling on his

stomach through the gunfire, the Captain reached

the stricken soldier and began pulling him

toward his encampment.

When

the Captain finally reached his own lines, he

discovered it was actually a Confederate

soldier, but the soldier was dead.

The

Captain lit a lantern and suddenly caught his

breath and went numb with shock. In the

dim light, he saw the face of the soldier. It

was his own son. The boy had been studying music

in the South when the war broke out.

Without telling his father, the boy

enlisted in the Confederate Army.

The

following morning, heartbroken, the father asked

permission of his superiors to give his son a

full military burial, despite his enemy status.

His request was only partially granted.

The

Captain had asked if he could have a group of

Army band members play a funeral dirge for his

son at the funeral.

The

request was turned down since the soldier was a

Confederate.

But,

out of respect for the father, they did say they

could give him only one musician.

The

Captain chose a bugler. He asked the

bugler to play a series of musical notes he had

found on a piece of paper in the pocket of the

dead youth's uniform.

This

wish was granted..

The

haunting melody, we now know as 'Taps' used

at military

funerals was born.

The

words are:

Day

is done.

Gone

the sun.

From

the lakes.

From

the hills.

From

the sky.

All

is well.

Safely

rest.

God

is nigh.

Fading

light.

Dims

the sight.

And

a star.

Gems

the sky.

Gleaming

bright.

From

afar.

Drawing

nigh.

Falls

the night.

Thanks

and praise.

For

our days.

Neath

the sun

Neath

the stars.

Neath

the sky

As

we go.

This

we know.

God

is nigh.

I too have felt the chills while listening to

'Taps' but I have never seen all the words to

the song until now. I didn't even know

there was more than one verse ... I also

never knew the story behind the song and I

didn't know if you had either so I thought I'd

pass it along.

I

now have an even deeper respect for the song

than I did before.

Remember

Those Lost and Harmed While Serving Their

Country.

Also

Remember Those Who Have Served And Returned; and

for those presently serving in the Armed

Forces.

Used the smaller boat today and was going to head to a couple of my near shore spots this morning with husband and wife clients (hopefully) before the wind turned NW and the waves got to big. Wulp......."Missed it by just that much". When we hit the end of the Karn Sea Wall at the mouth she was kicking pretty good and shifting fast to the North. One thing I did not want to do is head out knowing it was going to get worse.

Well Folks....Looks like we're going to troll the river today. So I geared up and started trolling back up-river. Ran into the brother in his boat going the other way. He was headed to our spots, and I told him to keep in touch and if the fish were there, I'd make the run waves or not. One hour later and no fish. Called the brother, he had no fish either and the surface temp near shore were down 10 degrees from it's usual temp out on the bay.

Right about that time I noticed the wind shifted fully out of the North and the river temp almost immediately went up 4 degrees from 77 to 82. With the North wind both holding and pushing the warmer water of the river back on itself. I decided to make some presentation changes and on our third 1/4 mile trolling pass we had 5 good (board stalling) rips, but they did not hook up.

I started to think the cranks may be hitting bottom, or maybe white bass, but right about then a board went under. Nice 4 pound walleye, fallowed by four others in quick succession, with 2 coming unhooked behind the boat short of the net. Called the brother and he headed in too join us. He boxed 2 on his first pass, and had to get home for work. We ended with 4 nice fish and lost 4 others to shake-offs. Also boated 2 cats and 2 sheep's. Sorry, didn't take any pictures.

It was Tom. But only because they released and dropped back when the fish would hit or I would give them a little jerk to release them. If those kids would have had to reel in the boards while still in full planeing position, it would have been a nightmare.

Tom.

About 11:30 yesterday I was dying to take a cool dip. But the hoist I need to get back in the boat was broken.

Did fairly decent today fishing old school.....kind-of. Caught 2 yutes their very first walleyes. 9 eyes, 3 sheeps and 3 cats. Ran 8 In-Lines with bouncers and meat on one side and Rattle Tot's and spoons on the other. The really neat thing was I discovered that by using OR-12 release in the front/center/side position on the In-lines and the OR-16's with the peg on the back end, the board releases by itself when a fish hits while using 8/30 Power Pro braide. The board instantly turns around and goes back and no hassles at all with crossing lines.

Took the small boat this morning with a guy and his son. Got the son his first eye (picture below) out near the man-made island. But the waters out, downshore and around the Hot Ponds was just that "HOT". I mean 93 degrees in some spots. With hardly a breeze out there, that hot water simply disperses straight out and pools along that shore. If there were any fish around they were looking for shade.

Decided to head for my Ice Burg spot. Don't know why I didn't notice this before, or have any trouble with them, but there are a lot of weeds growing almost to the surface in waters as deep as 10' near my spot. Anyway, with the weeds floating everywhere and the river flow almost mud and crowding my spot as well, we decided to cast with Rattle Tot's and a few Shad Raps I had aboard. Ended the day at 12:00pm with 7 nice fish. Was actualy kind of nice to be tested in this way for a change, instead of the using the same old programs trip after trip. Keeps a man sharpe and feeling part of the game, when versatility pays off. Oh ya, also had a huge Northern fallow my Rattle Tot to the boat like a Muskie. Wish I would have thought of doing a figure 8 at the side of the boat.

Well, all my riders showed up today, but the fish sure as hell didn't. The inner bay was D.E.A.D. Me and 22 other boats circled the cigar for 2 hours (one keeper) and I never seen a net come out from anybody. Tried the Black Hole and caught all dinks on spoons. Going to either make the shallow or deeeeeeep run tomorrow.

That was one of the other times this happened to me. During a tournament on the Tittabawassee. Fish after fish for 20 minutes. And I knew we'd be safer near shore yesterday in my smaller boat versus out 6 or more miles in the open expanses, as the dopler radar showed the storms courses as moving through north of us all day, and they did. Remember me? I'm the sissy who won't go out or comes in when theres 3 footers or bigger. We might have gotten a little wet, but I could duck in anywhere close to shore in a flash in my jet boat to be safe.

After re-scheduling yesterdays (8-08-09) charter trip for next Wednesday because of the severe tunderstorms yesterday, the guy and his wife that I was supposed to take out today called for an up-date on todays trip. I suggested we take my Jet Boat out instead of the big one and see if we could hide from the high winds and possible tunderstorms predicted for today. We launched at 7:15 am and had 5 fish in the boat by 9:30. Then we went for over an hour without a touch.

But then the wind went down to almost nothing and it got 20 degrees colder right now. It got dark as midnight and you could both see and smell the rain out on the Bay. And just then 3 boards went back with fish on each one. Netted those and the 4th and final one goes back. Turn around and hit another double and it's over. This had happened to me a few times before. The calm before the storm can sometimes mean walleyes before the storm.

Sorry for the belated GJ.

I just figured out where all the recent posts were moved to.

Good run this season Adam.

I got trips booked right up until the last of August and starting to discourage a few that wanted to fish in September. Historically, to many (on again-off again) bites during that time. But I plan on making an effort this year to get out a few times in November on the Bay and see if I can establish both a reliable technique and location pattern for those bigger walleyes. I know my cousin Mike hits them on occassion, but I think he's only scratched the surface of this late fall fishery.

We caught fish today on everything I threw out. 3 Dandys on my Meat freaks behind keels 40 back. That rootbeer Prizm was the hot one. Caught 3 nice keepers on spoon slider (Blue shiner was hot) above rattlte Tots. I know, I said only small ones hit after mid summer on spoons. And we caught 3 or 4 on Rattle tots themselves with meat. Also drug some TH blades near the end of the trips and caught fish on them. Started 2 miles West of the Cigar and trolled to 2 miles East of the Cigar. Pulled lines and did it again. We boated 13 or 15 not really sure, as one client had an emergency phone call and had to get home fast. So he threw 8 or 9 fish in their cooler without being cleaned. Sorry no pictures because of those cicumstances.

I'm including myself in that "Some" category. Of course the huricane West winds didnt help again today. We took 9 walleyes 1 perch, 2 sheeps and a cat. But I seen guys with a nice 20 fish limit in the cleaning station that took them in 21/22 FOW East of the Bolack Hole. But them boys earned them for sure today in that surf.

Good going Dan!

Seems to me you could have run that charter after all.

Not really Dick. The waters/area we were fishing in first can go from 6 feet to 2 feet in a flash. It would take the utmost attention to just steer the bigger boat, let alone be distracted with setting lines and netting fish. And with how high the Grady sets in the water, along with the canopy, steering would have been impossible. The other spot we fished second is better/safer for my bigger boat, but the waypoints are so close together a man would have to be continually turning around. All these things are accomplished both better and faster in a small boat like the brothers 19 footer using 4 rods versus the Grady running 8 to 10.

And Frank. We used my Rattle Tot's with the dab of crawler on the front hook again, but no keels. 30 foot leads on In-line boards in waters from 5 to 12 feet deep.

After canceling my charter last night, after seeing the weather forcast for today, the brother calls me up and cries about his 2 buddies stiffing him for their scheduled fishing trip this morning. I tell him about my recent success in close and shallow, but remind him of the predicted wind forecast for today, with SSW 22 sustaind and 30 mph gusts. But I know we might be able to fish in close to shore for a while until things get out of hand. So we start at about 7:30 and we're back at his house at 12:00 with our limit.

But the location wasn't quit the same place as the other day. We did start out in the Hot Pond/Finn road area and took 2 nice fish there right away. But that wind was unbelievable and it would blow us sideways during a gusts and make running the boards and steering the boat a nightmare. It would actually lift and fly the In-Lines boards out of the water. And when we had a fish on, and had to leave the steering wheel for a split second. Well.......it wasn't pretty.

So we packed up and moved to my old ICE BURG waypoins, very near shore and close to the Kawkawlin River. Out of the wind and into the fish. :grin:

Greetings,

I have a question for folks that pull plugs for walleye in deep water. I've had some really good luck on the Columbia River over the last few years pulling deep running plugs like hot-n-tots, tail dancers, and reef runners. I use line-counter reels so I have a pretty good idea on how deep I'm running and when I need to get a bunch of line up or let more out. My question is, do you think it matters how deep you are as long as you are "close" to the bottom.

Let's say a big bench is 30 feet deep and you know there are walleye there. Like most big rivers these fish rarely suspend especially in the summer. Do I want the bill of my plug to be digging into the bottom? Much of the bottom I fish over is clean enough I can do that with minimum snags. Maybe I should be running my plugs at 25 or 28 feet?

Reason I ask, is I'm pretty careful to take in 10 feet of line or let out 10 feet every time the depth changes a foot. My bride tends to set her line counter at a depth that allows her plug to clear the shallowest point on a bench and just leave it there. At least some times she catches as many fish with her plug running at 24 feet as I do running at 30 feet.

So what's your preference when you are flat lining: tweak the depth every time the depth goes up or down, or just hold in constant? And do you want your plugs lip to be banging on the bottom?

Thanks all,

John Esler

(Mr Fish From Oregon)

John.

I've recently have had to adjust my own feelings on this subject. My own successful decision to run cranks close and behind keels this summer pretty much proves that. In shallow to moderately deep rivers where there is a constant current, walleyes (for the most part) when not drawn to baitfish near the surface or traveling up or downstream, will lay or tread water almost dead on bottom. This inherent trait gives them the best protection and overview of the water column and any forage they might want to eat in the river system. I've only noticed them suspended at times in the few very deep rivers that I've fished. And most times only even with or at the tops of the shallowest bench (as you call it) to hide behind or expend less energy behind or in front of these current breaks. This makes sense to me as I'm sure they are less spooked and more at ease in deeper rivers versus shallow ones when swimming over shallow areas and obstacles, where they would be more exposed.

For many years (when fishing in open waters) anything dead on the bottom usually meant neutral or negative fish. But now for many reasons this seems to have changed. Back then, the suspended fish was what we were looking for and when you found them it was Game-On. With walleyes (like so many other prey species) having their eyes on top of their heads they cannot see anything below eye level unless they pivot tail up. But active/feeding walleyes in any system will move a long way up in the water column to grab a bait. So I'm thinking your mates idea of setting lines to clear the most shallow bench (as you call it) while trolling is a sound idea. But constantly adjusting and gouging bottom now and then can also trigger strikes from bigger and less aggressive walleyes IMV. My personal preference when trolling in rivers is to hit bottom with the crank and reel in a couple of feet. I then pump the rod as I troll. If I hit bottom then, most often I simply hold and pump the rod at a higher angle off the water without having to reel in any line. Capt. Dan.

Ya....I figure if the Karn Weadock smoke stacks don't give it away, you might as well get the numbers off my lowrance.

Fishing by myself this morning, I knew that the weeds from yesterday when me and the niece fished, would be blowing out into the Bay and the water cloumn would be much cleaner in close to shore. I also knew that any hot water from the hot ponds stays pretty much tight and in it's usual canal and flow pattern along the shoreline in a south wind. This is return creates a temperature seam that (this morning) was 74 on the cooler edge side and 78 to 80 in the mainstream of the ponds. It was easy to find and I trolled along this edge on the cooler side and in anywhere from 5 to 8 FOW. Made 2 passes and boated 7 walleyes and kept my one man limit. The conditions were right and I was there fishing in them. I'm also positive that this small area would not take to much pressure and continue to give up fish.

Nice report Dan...sure is nice taking chances and changing plans on the grounds WHEN it pays off!!

Ya... How does that charter captain saying go? One day your a GOD the next a Day a Di+( Head. It is nice when your gut feelings pay off though.

My niece is visiting us from Iowa for 2 weeks and she has been begging me to take her fishing. Used Gary's lead core technique on the river to catch her her first walleye today. We also farmed one out of about 6 or 8 pounds out on the Bay behind the boat using In-Line boards. She just could not rastle in the board fast enough. But she had fun. Notice the napkin around the fish?

Thanks for the post. Great catch in a very short amount of time.

On the subject of crimps, I would like to suggest that you look at the size of sleeves that you are using with the wire leaders.

My feeling is if you use the right size sleeve for the size of wire then that will not be an issue.

Your tackle supplier should have a chart for sleeve to diameter of line in use! If you follow this there should not be any issues!!!

The only time to exercise care is with mono leaders!!

Tight Lines ;

Rayman

Or it might be the side cutters I'm using to crimp them. :eek:

Started this morning about 1 mile SW of the northern end of the Dumping Grounds. The plan was to troll it's northern edge East and West. The strong winds changed those plans as it was impossible to turn around and troll any way but with the waves that just pushed us from corner to corner on the grid I wanted to fish. It was one of those days when the wind is stronger then even the waves they are creating. To much duty for my HT 8 horse Yamaha pushing the Grady today. So even though we started off with a fish on the very first rod I was letting out, it soon dried up as we got pushed out into that dead zone just north of the dumping grounds.

I quickly changed over to Rattle Tots and keels thinking that might change things. But by 10:30 we were still trolling IMV off into the dead zone and only had that one fish in the box. So with only 2 hours of fishing time left, I made the decision to pull all lines and break waves way in towards the State Park. Right around 14 FOW I stoped the boat and shortened the leads on the Keels and cranks to 30 feet. Got all the lines out without a touch and when we hit 16.8 feet all hell broke loose. Made 2 passes and boated 25 walleyes. 17 were keepers but we lost 3 nice walleyes behind the boat along with 2 very rare Rattle Tot's from broken wire leaders. Seems Ol'Capt Dan crimps them a bit to hard.

Gary Kieth or any walleye experts im kinda new to walleye fishing the great lakes could someone please tell me an optimal temparture to start looking for walleyes in big water i fish salmon alot so i have a temp probe for my downriggers so finding the temp would not be a problem i would apprecite any help guys thanks.

ginob.

Ginob.

Put my name down in with the (It doesn't matter) crowd for walleyes. They are more baitfish then temperature oriented. So, what may matter more is where you look and fish for them during these temp changes. With that said, I do believe all species of fish do have a water temperature preference, will bite better, longer and more aggressively in them. But only a few fish species seem locked into that temperature range comfort zone when foraging for food.

Small scaled or salmo species of fish seem to be the ones to suffer the most when out of their own temperature range preferences. And these same species also get locked into specific forage prey that also prefer those same comfort zones. Walleyes and other rough scaled species do not suffer these same restrictions IMV, may initially be effected by extreme fronts, but will eventually and quickly (in most cases) adjust to both the temps and the change in forage when and if need be. Capt. Dan.

Huge population of crawfish(s) spread everywhere in the reservoir, as far as I know they are also feeding on walleye's eggs and fries so this will cause reduction in walleye's population, I wanna know if walleye's feed on crawfish(s) or they will disapear from this reservoir soon!

__________________

Never Give Up!

Vahab Behnam

Vahab.

Crawfish go through a "Soft Shell" faze sometime twice a year where they (like snakes) have to shed their skins/shells to grow. My dad used to send me and my brother down to the local ditch during these times to net or "can fish" for them. We caught many bass and giant perch with these baits. Many game fish Key on crayfish during this faze and take advantage of it when the time is right. And crayfish might eat a few fish eggs when they can find them, but a crawfishes catching skills of live fish isn't good enough IMV to desimate a fry or fingerling population during that cycle of their lives..

__________________

Captain Dan Manyen

Beat waves out to the high 47's this morning in a sustained 15 mph ENE 2/3 foot chop. Turned the boat with the waves and set the port side of the boat first. Let the first Killer "Pink Flamingo" Rattle Tot and keel out 40 feet on the Starboard side. When she hit bottom at around 36 feet, the rod just got heavy. I instinctively set the hook and handed the rod off to my first client and the results are posted. We ended the day catching 7 and keeping 6 very nice fish. Things have really slowed down both fish and traffic wise out there.